The so-called Internet of Things (IoT) has been proposed as an architecture for connecting physical devices using embedded electronics that enable these objects to collect and exchange data. In 2013 the Global Standards Initiative on Internet of Things (IoT-GSI) defined the IoT as “the infrastructure of the information society.” The IoT is intended to allow objects to be sensed and/or controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit.
A key enabler of the IoT is the availability of low power and low cost communications access technology, which allows the IoT object to connect to a network and thereby send and receive information. Typically, a low-cost radio access technology (RAT) using, for example, the Bluetooth wireless technology standard, is used as the communications access technology, but other technologies may be used. For example, IoT objects with relatively high data demands may use a RAT based on the WiFi wireless technology standard. Other access technologies may be developed in the future, and may also be adopted for use in IoT objects.
An important factor in the IoT is high reliability. In particular, it is anticipated that many IoT objects, such as, for example, door locks and other security devices will require very reliable connectivity to the internet in order to function properly. Typically, high reliability in wireless communications is accomplished by providing a device with multiple RATs that may be used as needed to establish a connection to a data network. For example, a typical smart-phone may be able to connect to the network using any of WiFi, 3G, 4G, Long Term Evolution (LTE) or other wireless communications technologies, and so may select the best available technology for maintaining connectivity at any given time. A disadvantage with this approach is that the provision of a device capable of using multiple RATs is significantly more expensive than a device that is limited to a single RAT for uplink connections to a data network.
Accordingly, there is a technical problem to be solved which may be described as how to improve the reliability of IoT objects that are provisioned with a single uplink RAT.